Articulator guide



Jan. 14, 1969 c. E. STUART 3 ,421,225

ARTICULATOR GUIDE I Filed Sept. 29, 1966 INVENTOR. CHARLES E. STUART ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,421,225 ARTICULATOR GUIDE Charles E. Stuart, P.O. Box 891, Ventura, Calif. 93002 Filed Sept. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 582,833 U.S. CI. 32-32 7 Claims Int. Cl. A61c 11/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dental articulator includes guiding structure for moving the articulator to conform to a patients physiological jaw movements. The guide structure has first and second guide means arranged in opposed relationship and adjacent to the ends of the base and arm sections of the articulator. The first and second guide means define, respectively, first and second opposed curved guiding edges lying in mutually perpendicular planes and in engagement with each other so that side to side, back and forth, and up and down relative movements may be guided by the geometry of the first and second curved guiding edges.

This invention relates generally to articulators and more particularly, to an improved guiding structure for dental articulators for constraining relative motions between mandibular and maxillary models mounted on the articulator to correspond to normal physiological jaw movements.

Dental articulators are well known in the art and are used in the manufacture of dentures and bridgework, and in actual tooth reconstruction. The basic purpose of the articulator is to provide a holding structure for models formed from wax impressions of the patients mandible and maxilla in a manner such that motions between the models may be constrained to duplicate actual mandibular movements of the particular patient. By proper duplication of the actual physiological jaw movements of a patient by means of the articulator, a tooth construction or reconstruction can proceed at a rapid rate with a minimum of rechecking with the patient during the construction process.

Most articulators in use today include an elongated base structure and an overlying extended arm hinged to the base structure by unique coupling means such that the arm swings away from the base in a manner similar to swinging movement of a persons mandible. Suitable models of the mandible and maxilla are mounted intermediate the ends of the base and arm respectively so that when the extreme end of the arm is brought towards the extreme end of the base, a closing condition occurs between the two models secured in the articulator. The hinged mounting of the arm to the base generally includes compound hinge and bearing structures enabling swiveling, up and down, and side movements to take place in addition to the major arcuate swinging movement of the arm.

The extreme end of the extended base structure serves to support an indexing table which in turn cooperates with a downwardly extending rod or pointer secured to the far end of the arm. The engagement of the end of the rod with the table limits the degree of closure of the articulator and these particular elements may be adjusted so that a stop for the articulator is provided when the mandibular and maxillary models are in proper closed position. In addition, the table structure has been inclined with respect to the pointer such that forward and rearward shifting movements of the articulator are guided by the sloping table and rod in a manner to simulate corresponding jaw movements by the patient. Further constraining of the movements of the articulator to con- Patented Jan. 14, 1969 form to movements of the patients jaw can be effected by actually making the table of a dish shape or of a compounded curved surface such that side to side motion of the pointer rod on the extended arm of the articulator is constrained to follow the shape of the table.

The proper designing of a table for cooperation with a pointer rod may take considerable time and often requires considerable readjustment. In addition, once a desired relationship has been established between the rod and the engaged surface of the table, the established relationship is generally only useful for the particular dental reconstruction being carried out. That is, it is peculiar to the particular patient involved and thus is of no use for other patients unless extensive modifications are effected.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a guiding structure performing the functions heretofore effected by the rod and table structures wherein relative movements of an articulator are constrained to conform to a particular patients physiological jaw movements in a manner more easily realized than with prior ant structures.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a guiding structure for an articulator which may be quickly positioned and adjusted to conform to a particular patient and wherein the structure is such that repositioning of the articulator for that particular patient can be readily effected even though the articulator is used for other work during interim periods.

Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by substituting for the conventional type table and downwardly extending pointer rod, first and second guide means in opposed relationship to each other adjacent to the ends of the base and arm portions of the articulator. These guide means respectively define first and second opposed curved guiding edges lying in planes angulated to each other and in engagement with each other so that side to side, back and forth, and up and down relative movements may be guided by the geometry of the first and second curved guiding edges.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the guiding edges are formed of individual elements which may be removed and replaced by other elements defining different degrees of curvature for the guiding edges so that a set of elements may be uniquely assigned to a particular patient and stored in that patients file and reused on the articulator when work is being done for that patient. The arrangement is such that the two guiding surfaces in opposed relationship function in the manner of a single compound three-dimensional surface but may more easily be assembled, designed, and adjusted.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by now referring to a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating portions of a conventional articulator incorporating the improved guiding structure of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the guiding structure incorporated in the articulator of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 5 is a cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown an elongated base portion 10 of a dental articulator for coop- 9 eration with an extended arm portion 11 overlying the base .10. Suitable mounting structures such as indicated generally at 12 and 13 are provided for mounting models of a patients mandible and maxilla, respectively, as indicated at 14 and :15.

The arm is articulated to the base for general arcuate swinging movement about an axis A. However, additional compound hinging and swiveling means (not shown) are provided to permit forward and rearward, up and down, and side movements of the arm.

In order to control or constrain relative movements between the mandible and maxilla models when mounted on the articulator, to conform to such movements as can be executed by the patient, there is provided a base mounting means designated generally hy the arrow 16 at the end portion of the extended base structure 10. This mounting means supports a first guide means in the form of first and second elements 17 and 18 defining a first curved guiding edge.

Cooperating with this first guide means is a second guide means including a guide mounting structure designated generally by the arrow 19 supporting a single element 20 defining a second curved guiding edge in opposed relationship to the first curved guiding edge.

The foregoing structure will be better understood with reference to FIGURE 2 wherein details of the base and arm guiding structures are shown. As shown in FIGURE 2, the base mounting means includes first and second semicircular plates 21 and 22 supporting suitable upright extending mounting members 23 and 24. These members are arranged to receive the first and second elements 17 and 18 respectively and secure the same in set positions within the mountings 23 and 24 as by pairs of pins 25 and 26. respectively. The curved guiding surfaces defined by the elements 17 and .18 are indicated at 17' and 18' and extend generally outwardly and upwardly from each other to define an overall first curved surface lying generally in a plane P-l parallel to the hinge axis for the articulator indicated at A in FIG- URE 1.

The single element 20 for the second guide means on the arm in turn is pivotally mounted by means of a cross-slot structure 27 and pivot pin 28 which may be positioned in any one of the slots in the arrangement 27 for desired positioning of the element 20. The lower end of this element 20 defines the second curved guiding edge as indicated at 20', this edge being in engagement with the first guiding edge defined by the edges 17' and 18 of the first and second elements 17 and 18. It will be noted that the second curved guiding edge 20' lies in a plane P2 normal to the hinge axis A of the articulator or at approximately right angles to the first plane P1.

With particular reference to the cross section of FIG- URE 3, the points of engagement of the second curved edge 20' with the first curved edge defined by the curved portions 17' and 18 is effected at the margins of the edge 20' as indicated at 29 and 30 respectively. These points of engagement are disposed vertically above pivot pins 31 and 32 forming part of the mounting members 23 and 24 and extending into the semicircular plates 21 and 22. The arrangement is such that the mounting members 23 and 24 are pivoted for swinging movement about vertical axes coinciding with the pins 31 and 32 and passing through the engagement points 29 and 30. The mounting members 23 and 24 may be suitably locked or set in any particular pivoted position as by suitable set screws 33 and 34.

By means of the foregoing described pivoting arrangement for the mounting members, the elements 17 and 18 may be swung through slight angulated positions out of the plane P-l as indicated by the arrows 35 and 36 in FIGURE 4 without disturbing the normal positioning of the arm guide means element 20 since its points of engagement are at the pivot points for the elements.

By providing this pivotal arrangement, the relative movement of the articulator arm structure in a side by side direction may be adjusted to follow a desired path. It will be evident that because of the upward sloping nature of the particular curved surfaces, the side by side motion will be accompanied by an up and down motion and the rate of change of this up and down motion will be controlled by the angulated positioning of the first and second elements 17 and 18.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, it will be noted that the single element 20 for the arm guide structure may be rotated about its pivot point 28 as shown by the arrow 37. This motion will permit positioning of the second curved guiding edge 20' relative to the guiding edges such as the edge 18'. By suitably adjusting the rotative position of the single element 20, the degree and rate of up and down movement with forward and rearward movement of the articulator arm can be adjusted.

With the description of the basic elements making up the novel guiding structure for the articulator of this invention in mind, its operation will now be described.

Initially, suitable measurements are made on a patients jaw structure to determine the relative motions of his mandible relative to his maxilla. Suitable elements such as the elements 17, 18 and 20 described in FIGURES 1 to 5 having various shaped curved edges are then selected and positioned in the base and arm mounting structures such that movement of the articulator arm structure 11 will be constrained to follow paths corresponding to the measured paths of the relative movements of the patients jaw. Suitable adjustment of the relative positioning of the first and second curved surfaces by proper positioning of the elements 17, 18, and 20 can be effected until the desired motions, characteristic of the patient, are duplicated by the articulator.

In addition to the adjustment of the elements, different elements may be substituted having different shaped curves so that by trial, a proper set of elements can be found which will function to maximum advantage in the articulator. In this respect, the elements themselves are preferably constructed of a plastic material which may be shaved or otherwise machined in a simple manner so that the curves on particular elements may be varied to suit the particular characteristics to be simulated.

Once a proper set of elements has been selected, these are marked so that they may be re-inserted at a later time in the articulator when working on the corresponding patients dental models.

From the foregoing description, it will thus be evident that the present invention has provided a greatly improved guiding structure for dental articulators. The use of opposed curved surfaces lying in substantially perpendicular planes facilitates the duplication of physiologic motions, as compared to attempts to form a three-dimensional curved surface in a single table member for cooperation with a single rod pointer element.

Various changes that fall within the scope and spirit of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The guiding structure is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the specific embodiments set forth merely for illustrative purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. A guiding structure for constraining relative movements between mandibular and maxillary models mounted on a dental articulator, comprising: first and second guide means in opposed relationship to each other adjacent the ends of the base and arm portions of said articulator for indexing the articulated positions of said articulator, said guide means respectively defining first and second opposed, engaging curved guiding edges lying in mutually perpendicular planes whereby side to side, hack and forth, and up and down relative guided movements may be defined by the geometry of said first and second curved guiding edges; and mounting means for removably mounting said guide means such that guide means defining different curved edges may be substituted to define different constraints for said relative movements.

2. In a dental articulator including an elongated base and an elongated over-extending arm hinged coupled to said base for articulating movement, said base and arm including means for supporting mandibular and maxillary models intermediate the coupling of said base and arm and extended end portions of said base and arm, an improved guide structure at said extended end portions for establishing desired relative motions between said models, comprising, in combination: a base guide means defining a first curved guiding edge lying in a first vertical plane; and an arm guide means defining a second curved guiding edge lying in a second vertical plane generally normal to said first plane, said first and second curved guiding edges being in resting engagement with each other whereby relative sliding movements along the extent of the paths defined by the curved edges can take place to cause said models to execute said desired relative motions.

3. The subject matter of claim 2, in which said base guide means includes first and second elements having upper concave edges curving upwardly and outwardly from each other in said first plane to define said first curved guiding edge; and base mounting means removably supporting said elements on the extended end portion of said base whereby said elements may be interchanged with other elements defining diiferent degrees of curvature.

4. The subject matter of claim 2, in which said arm guide means includes a single element having a concave lower edge curving downwardly and forwardly in said second plane to define said second curved guiding edge;

and arm mounting means removably supporting said single element to the extended end portion of said arm whereby said element may be interchanged with other elements defining difierent degrees of curvature.

5. The subject matter of claim 3, in which said base mounting means pivotally supports said first and second elements for angular movement about first and second vertical axes such that portions of the curves defined by the upper edges of said elements may be moved out of said first vertical plane.

6. The subject matter of claim 4, in which said arm mounting means pivotally supports said single element for angular movement in said second vertical plane about an horizontal axis normal to said second vertical plane, whereby difierent portions of said second curved guiding edge can be caused to engage said first curved guiding edge.

7. The subject matter of claim 5, in which said arm guide means includes a single element of given thickness having a concave lower edge curving downwardly and forwardly to define said second curved guiding edge, the margins of said edge engaging respectively the upper edges of said first and second elements at points through which said first and second vertical axes respectively pass when said articulator arm is in a neutral position whereby angular movements of said first and second elements will not substantially change the neutral position of said arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,206,852 9/1965 Swanson 32-32 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

